Hydroponics, the process of growing plants in water without soil, has been around for centuries. It is believed the famous Hanging Gardens of Babylon functioned along hydroponic principles more than two thousand years ago and there is also evidence that the Aztecs developed a system of floating gardens in the 10th century.
Now this system of growing fresh and nutritious vegetables has arrived in Pattaya, at the Father Ray Children’s Home.
Cooperation between the residents of the Children’s Home and a group of students at Ruamrudee International School in Bangkok, who made a donation of 114,840 baht, has seen the construction of a large greenhouse, complete with all the equipment needed to grow vegetables.
The visitors from Bangkok were welcomed by Father Peter.
The official opening ceremony took place on Monday 29th June, with Father Peter, President of the Father Ray Foundation, welcoming students and parents from Bangkok to see how their donation has been spent.
The aim of the hydroponics greenhouse is to not only provide healthy and nutritious food, but also to teach new skills to the underprivileged children and students with disabilities at the Father Ray Foundation.
The students from Bangkok were impressed how their donation has been spent.
Income made through the selling of surplus crops will be used to enlarge the hydroponic system.
This is just one of projects in the self-sufficiency initiatives at the Father Ray Children’s Home, which apart from offering a home to more than one hundred and thirty children, is also home to several hundred chickens, a large pond full of tilapia and cat fish, a pig sty, a rice field, vegetable gardens and fruit orchards. While it may take many more years before the Foundation is 100% self sufficient in providing enough food to feed the 850 children and students under its care, this is a start.
Just as fresh and nutritious as if grown in the ground.
